Background to A BOND Approach to Quality Standards
Within the widespread debates about systems and standards to enhance NGO quality, BOND members find themselves navigating a complex array of options on how they approach the issue of 'quality' in their work. This project aimed to enable learning about members' current quality standards practice and consider the wealth of experience and the various voices within the issue. These issues are central to BOND's 2006-2011 Strategy, and include explicit commitments to helping its members to respond effectively to demands for accountability and transparency, and identifying a collective approach to quality in the sector.
The theme of NGO quality and accountability is rich in debate and contestation; from discussions about the scope, implications and differences between terms like 'quality' or 'accountability', to the differences in appetite of organisations for approaches that go from international standards to organisational learning models. Furthermore, the practices that organisations choose are informed by criteria as varied as their size and organisational complexity, as well as the scope of their work and operations.
Therefore, this research process was designed around a sensitive understanding of current debates on quality and accountability within the NGO sector, noting, among other criteria:
- The diversity of BOND's membership.
- NGOs' need for practical mechanisms to manage the tensions created by being accountable to different stakeholders.
- The range of other initiatives working on similar issues.
Timeframe and outputs
The research and consultation phases ran February - July 2006. The key outputs were engagement among BOND's members and a report describing practical options and recommendations on quality standards for further consideration by BOND's members. This phase was followed by further work on developing collective approaches to quality.
As a result of the report's findings, BOND established a working group to take forward the debates. The group also operates a wiki to enable members to share learning and experiences around issues of quality and accountability.
Project team
The project was managed by Charlotte Imbert, supported by an Advisory Group, chaired by Alex Jacobs (BOND Board Member and Director of Mango).
Quality Standards Report Advisory Group
Alex Jacobs, Mango
Richard Bennett, BOND
Monica Blagescu, One World Trust
Richard Graham, Comic Relief
Mahmood Hassan, Islamic Aid
David Lewis, London School of Economics
Jonathan Potter, People in Aid
Bina Rani
Campbell Robb, NCVO
James Shaw-Hamilton, Charity Commission
Simon Starling, Disasters Emergency Committee